Iceland's Heart
Iceland's Heart Secret Mission: Assault the Ice Crown Palace! During the week long purchase of the Phoenix Guild's service in the war between the Council's reinforced mass of Stella and the Coven and Black Hell's backed Iceberg, another mission was mounted far away from the encroaching, frozen borders. Near the northern sea encompassing the shores of the ice land drew in a large assortment of warriors of magical affluence, all of them given a specific task. Throwing themselves into the thick vapor that wrapped around a perpetual cold zone of a massive city of ice, marble and stone, all surrounding a propped up spire of a majestic castle. Like a meticulously crafted glass monument, Ice Crown Palace was a testament to the magical craftsmanship that hasn't changed like the climate of its country. For over a thousand years its stood while the rest of the country spread outward like a virus of cold. The rest of the city surrounding it was mere stone before the splendor of its greatest wonder, all paling in comparison to the marble structure that had long since frozen over. If the Sun could shine through the spiraling clouded heavens above, it'd surely shine with magnificent radiance. But, like all things coming from Iceberg, it was nothing but a symptom of a cold frost of apathy as much as cruelty. With their fate sealed by allying with known criminals, the Armed Wizards -clothed in bright colors of the Council- dove head first over the surrounding structures closest to the palace. Unleashing a slew of magicks that lit up the otherwise dimly lit vapor field, brick, mortar and frozen moisture was ripped asunder from the sheer ferocity of the area of effect their spells had on the surrounding environment. One squadron though, had more subdued colored uniforms of grey and white. They dropped onto the upper balconies of Ice Crown, clinking ever-so slightly as the frost in the air became more dense within the opening they sought to enter. Regardless, they crept in carefully, weapons drawn and feet walking across the ice layered floor with care to not slip. "Ugh, this frost is playing havoc on my senses," Rubie whispered from her scarf layered face, holding her broom aloft in diagonal to both of her gloved hands. "I can't imagine what it'd be like to spy here. I can't even focus on what's a few feet in front of me." "It's a good thing the Queen isn't known for hiding," Aria intoned, her body billowed up in a long cloak that concealed her voluptuous frame and warmed her considerably. The Anti-Ice Barriers she instilled around their skin did much to resist the harshness of the elements, but it still helped to wear warm clothing like this. Smiling over at Roland and Constantine, she couldn't help but giggle at them. "Otherwise we'd have to keep you two restrained while rampaging in an ice fortress." "I don't rampage when a mission this important is concerned," Constantine replied with disdain, his sharp brows furrowing more than usual. He wore a winter coat over his usual jacket, doing little to alter his usual black-red apparel he wore over his person. With guns already drawn, he continued to saunter forward without as much as a hint of slipping, with feet sinking through the ice and touching the marble with audible hisses from his own considerable aura of heat barely suppressed. "Can't speak for Roland, though." Once the group landed at the Ice Crown Palace, Roland was glad he had been given a winterized version of his usual outfit, wearing a white, floor-length trench-coat with a golden Armed Wizard’s sigil on the back over a white-grey shirt and pants, his usual boots replaced with fur-lined boots with small spikes for traction on the ice. Balanced on his shoulder was his monstrously over-sized trademark sword, Arondight, the blade darkened by the anti-magic coating that painstakingly was infused with the steel. He was ready for combat at a moment’s notice. No matter what defenses stood in their way, he was prepared to deal with them. If it hadn’t been for their warmer attire and Aria’s magic, the swordsman doubted he would have survived the frigid air assaulting him. What he didn’t tell anyone was that he had a trump card against the Ice Queen, one that would let him turn the tide if things went south. It wasn’t that his friends weren’t aware of the weapon, he neglected to inform them of what it really was. The only one who knew was his sister who felt the endless evil contained within. But he knew he could keep it contained, keep the demon’s malice shut inside. Regardless, he would only use it if he absolutely had no choice. Roland had to admit, the palace was a beautiful piece of architecture. Even without the radiant light of the sun shining upon the structure, it had a certain charm to it and the ice made it seem so much more fragile than it was. It was such a shame that war had come to claim a monument to the history of Iceberg but he wasn’t paid to appreciate a building. He was paid to put a stop to the ever-more dangerous ruler who remained inside. “I don’t rampage either you know. I pride myself on taking care of you three,” he said in a feigned hurt tone as he pushed his way up to the front of the group. He was their shield, their wall against whatever came their way. “Though if you’d like to see me run wild, just say the word.” he said. He felt like Constantine was still singling him out for his mistake of not telling the group about Jadow’s existence right under the Council’s nose. He had his reasons doing so of course; If Jadow was known, Morgan would likely have been put under the Council’s “protection”. Even still, he didn’t hold it against his teammate. He held vital information that very well could have condemned the planet and said nothing. The ice crunched under his boots with every footfall as he slowly made his way into the structure. "Yeah, we'll definitely let you know," Rubie mouthed off with a roll of her eyes, nearly skidding on the ice as she stepped forward. "Crap, this shitty ice!" "I can make the barrier more traction around your feet-" "No, it's fine, Aria," She replied to her compassionate colleague with a dismissive wave. "I just lost my balance for a second. Won't happen again." "Yeah it better," Constantine snorted, earning a glare from his shortest subordinate. Taking a hissing step into the ice layered floor, he stopped and raised his pistols upright. Looking left and right, the team stopped with him, letting his lead-status next to Roland make up their bastion of muscle and magic. Spewing out hot air from his mouth, he cocked one gun and aimed it at a ice sculpture in the visage of the Queen, and snarled out. "Show yourself, or I'll start shooting this place up!" The sculpture shivered in place, as if it felt threatened by this statement. Then it swirled around like an icy liquid, gelatinous phyisiology moulding itself in accordance to an unknown whim. Finally it took the shape of a chrome shaped entity with a voluptuous set of curves over an opaque shell of liquid, almost in resemblance to that of an Undine elemental. With waving curls of deep cobalt resting over the metallic grey-silver face of strong cheekbones, a soft chin and deep silver-blue eyes, the deep blue lips smirked as she presented herself to the assemblage, causing Aria to jerk back and Rubie to raise her broom in readiness. "Her grace had assumed there'd be someone desecrating this divine palace after such a messy attack invoked on our beloved capital," She purred out, her voice echoing as if speaking through an icy filter, ringing in the air and reverberating off the bizarre icy-layered marble interior. "I am Angui Jaiya, one of our beloved queen's royal guards. I am a benevolent soul and give all those who dare cross me a chance to prostrate themselves, repent of ignorance and intent of malice, then leave my presence with dignity and reverance as befitting of those of such lowly stature. This is your only-" BANG! "Yeah, fuck that," Constantine deadpanned with a click of his trigger and a Meteor Shot sprayed from his pistol in a thin line of molten heat. The shot eradicated her head, evaporating her with a thunderous pow! and caused the body to lurch back hard enough to splatter against the decorated column the 'statue' was once erected by. Falling limp down, it'd slide down with a trail of bubbling liquid from where the stump once presided a head, and oozed fluids from its now lifeless form. "That was too easy," Rubie intoned with a set of surprised blinks. "Maybe we should check to see if she's really dead, or if that's a puppet?" Aria asked for recommendation. "As if we have time for that," The Drake Squad Captain growled with annoyance. "Roland, can you tell if that thing is alive or not? We need to keep moving, and I'm certain if she could detect us, the rest who were aware of our coming just heard where we are." "Who's fault that is?" "SHUT IT, RUBIE!" "Inside, voices, Captain," Aria corrected with a suppressed giggle, much to his chagrin. Roland wanted to say something when Constantine needlessly rebuked Rubie for slipping. It was a stupid bit of chance, not worth getting mad about but he stayed quiet. Something felt off about the whole place. Like they were being watched. “''Smart kid. Maybe you’re a better host than you let on before.” A voice taunted him from within his own skull. “You agreed to use my powers but, did you never hear you have to seal the demon so it doesn’t get away from your grasp?” it asked, Roland only then remembering how he knew the voice; it was Eligos, the Demon Lord of ice. “''Not that it matters. I’m actually content digging around your mind. If I crush your will and take over now, I’d be without the most fun human I’ve seen since the Master’s host. Besides, I’m not without honor. You beat me last time, fair and square. Unfortunately for both of us, the bulk of my remaining power is tied to the sword. As long as it's locked up, I can’t channel my magic through you.” Before Roland could even ask what that meant, haunting voice of the Undine-looking figure broke him out of his stupor. Even as Angui offered them a chance to live, he readied to attack. He had heard it all before. Lies, tricks, deceptive promises and the moment they listened, they’d be killed. Just before he could do anything, however, Constantine’s shot rang out and the Undine’s head evaporated before their very eyes. “If that’s all a Royal Guard has, we’ll be done in no time.” he joked as he walked over to the headless corpse. His sword would be perfect for the morbid task at hand. While he hated to do it, if there was even the remotest chance his friends would be in danger, he would do anything to stop it. Arondight’s massive blade dug into the woman’s psudo-metallic body with ease as he plunged it into her, the anti-magic coating would, barring outside interference, negate any regenerative spells. And yet he still felt uneasy. When the tip of his sword tapped the icy floor on the other side of the body, he felt a dead space as the anti-magic negated something under him. While he wasn’t able to pinpoint specifics enough to even tell a person apart from another, he knew what it felt like when magic fell silent or flowed freely. “Damn it!” he growled, wrenching the sword free from the silvery chest with one hand. “Now I get why this all felt wrong. The ice...it’s not just a pretty distraction. It’s either a trap or a radar. Maybe both. “ he said as he returned to his friends. Rubie's eyes widened, the other two exchanging concerned looks with a palpable alarm filling the air. Even now the inert doll-like body of Angui tilted over on its side as the rest of the crystalline iced interior began to shimmer with an unnatural reverberation. The pointed-hat adorned Armed Wizard reached into the folds of her coat and withdrew a few spell engraved Lacrima crystals and tossed them into the air; making a left-handed index finger gesture before carving a rune in the air. "You think you can hide," She began to say, jabbing her upraised finger along with the rune onto the icy floor below, casting a crackling light of incandescent yellows and purples. "From me?!" All at once, the corridors filled with a shimmering halo, dictating what Roland had suspected. The flow of Angui's magic circulated like a constantly flowing river beneath the ice layered marble. Each time they'd look upon it they'd see no definition or inclination where she actually was. This made Constantine snarl, raising his guns up and begin firing in abundance at all partitions of the area, smashing and cracking the ice, but did little to halt its flow. Then, she emerged right in front of Constantine, whipping him across the face as her newly formed body erected from the ice just in front of him. As he staggered back, she twirled around, shifting in shape to resemble a tendril attached spinning top, lashing out at Rubie, Aria and Roland with separate tentacles of spiked ice. Rubie and Aria used their broom and newly formed barriers to absorb the brunt of it, but could only handle so much...! Roland parried the spike aimed for him, the impact of his weapon and the icy tendril ringing out around them. The reverberation up his arm was jarring. It was rare to find an elemental attack capable of striking so hard. "Rubie, Aria, just hold on!" he yelled. If such an attack could affect him even slightly, he could only imagine what it'd feel like for them. If Arondight wasn't strong enough to totally block an attack While he had some space, he opened his requip and summoned forth the sword of Eligos, freed from the numerous seals that he usually kept it bound up with. Frozen vapor steamed around the sword but Roland felt no chill whatsoever from even the palace around them. "What are you planning, boy? To wage a war of control with her?" Eligos mused but didn't get an answer from the silver-haired man except for brief flashes of a rapid plan to dominate the fight. Eligos also caught glimpses of how his host planned to protect his friends. "Frost Wall!" he yelled, producing two icy barricades between the ladies and the tentacles of ice made from the freezing floors and reinforced with the man's magic The moment the faux-limbs smashed into the defenses, Eligos' magic tried to infest them to give Roland control over them. "Come on!" he yelled, stepping between Angui and them. "I'm the one who you need to pay attention to!" he told her, jamming Arondight into the ground, the anti-magic coating disabled to keep the walls up. The sword was too heavy to use in conjunction with the demon's weapon even for him. Without giving Angui a chance to react to him, he activated his Armorize and charged forward, trying to keep too close for her to use the limbs even if they remained solely under her control, aiming a thrust at her top-like frame with his katana. Angui was surprised by the sudden flux of Ice Magic in the air. During her spiraling attack, she noticed it came from a weapon manifested by the swordsman. It had an unholy atmosphere around it, like a miasma of decay and stillness that could compare to the Ice Queen's own magic; but in a far more tainted aspect. When he formed the Frost Walls, she felt her momentum slip, the crescendo of cracking flurries she had on the pair was now buffeted by the frozen spell barriers. This gave time for Rubie to swing her broom around, causing an enchanted gust of air to swirl around and bash her with jettisoning force in opposing angles, spinning her out of her own volition. Aria would then form a barrier beneath Angui's top-like feet, pushing her up into the air, just as Roland would thrust his blade into Angui's body. She let out a croaking shriek, feeling the Cursed Blade sink deep into her shell a moment sooner than she could escape it. Even as she slipped away from the now crumbling tendril-attached top, she barely managed to materialize with a shimmering inconsistency before their eyes. Rising up from the cracked floor, she too was fragmented and mishapen, her beautiful appearance marred by them. "Damn you! Damn you-!" A cacophony of molten beams angled around Roland's body, searing off her appendages in instants. Eyes widened and mouth agape as she was now trapped on the outside, just as Constantine's fiery eyes glared at her with a glowing ire, moments before pulling the trigger with a pyre of flames that sent her shrieking person out through the frozen marble wall through several rooms before firing on the other side of the palace. A melted, orange curled hole was made from his shot, revealing just how much power he had utilized; not unlike the kind of firepower he used to take down the renegade Mage from months earlier. "Nice work, Ro!" Rubie thanked with a shiver, the barrier reconsituting around her with a bit of concentration on Aria's part. Soon they all felt the comfort of her temperature shielding, and they could continue onward from this point on. Having to take care not to trip over the searing bubbles of water where Constantine's weapons had created, Rubie hopped over to Roland's side while Aria walked beside their Captain, angling to the divided corridor now split down the middle from his Meteor Shot. "Which way? Left or right?" Aria asked, blinking her big eyes as Constantine took stock of their surroundings carefully. With the death of their icy foe, Roland pulled his larger sword free from where he had left it, the massive weight as if it were nothing to him. “It’s nothing really. Since when have I not had the weapon to get the job done?” he joked as Rubie praised him for his haphazardly thrown together plan to save his team. He no longer felt even the slightest chill from the wintry air “Don’t worry kid. It’s just my...your...our power. Ice and cold won’t do much to hinder you anymore. Not only that but as you already figured, you could turn this whole palace into your domain if you had the time to.” Eligos informed him, sounding entertained. “Speaking of things we can do, I can sort of get a sense of this place but it’s a labyrinth further on, I can’t see anything too far ahead. You’re better off splitting the group to cover more ground.” Roland turned down the left path. “We’ll get further by splitting up. Not only can we get more searching done but they’ll have to split up their forces too. We’d have better odds that way,” he said, figuring the demon was right. And given they just fought someone who merged with ice it’d be impossible to believe the Ice Queen didn’t have even an inkling of their presence now or even a way to track them through the palace. And if the demon couldn’t just outright tell what was coming, even the smallest advantages counted for something. All that mattered was that the four of them went home after this the same way they came in: together. Parting Ways In Frozen Halls "Fine," Constantine spewed out hot air, looking over at the others with a stern glare. "Just make sure you don't die on me." "Who do you take us for?" Rubie asked with a raised hand gripping the front lip of her pointed hat. Her blue eyes gleamed with a fearsome edge akin a predator. Smiling, she, Aria and Roland all bore that similar aura since joining the Armed Wizards. It radiated off them thicker than any magic or blood that bound them; and she was determined to prove it. "Just because I like having you idiots around, doesn't mean we can't hold our own. Let's show this icy bitch that we mean business." "I second that," Aria answered with a wink at the smallest of the squad. Turning to give Roland a pat on the shoulder, she smiled comfortingly at him. "My Magic should hold even if we're separated by kilometers of ice. So do not worry. Unless they find a means of undoing barriers of my caliber, then you should be concerned with more than an icy death in this cold palace." "Geez, I just wanted you guys to say yessir," Constantine snorted, rolling his eyes. With both guns held in hand, he trudged along the scorched pool of water that continued to ebb steam. "I'll see if I can find a path through the one I made. Aria, cover our escape exit and set up some paths. After that, choose a hall you want. Rubie is left and Roland is right." "Roger that, boss," She remarked with a bob of her head. Looking a second at Roland, she grinned and underhandedly tossed a glass encased jar. "Take that. Since I won't bail you out this time, I have a bit of my broom's enchanted wind stored in that. Open it if you want to give them a little surprise and then some; there's a lot of wind magic inside of that casing." “Just worry about yourselves first. Aria, if you think you need to lower the barriers on me to conserve power, go ahead. I think I’ll be okay” he said, unsure of if he could properly explain his immunity without revealing he’s got a specter of the demon disaster a few years ago telling him things. Combined with his relationship to Jadow, he was hesitant to reveal any more damning information lest they think even less of him. He’d tell them on his own time, he knew he had to, but for now, he didn't need them to worry. He caught Rubie’s gift and slipped it into his Requip space, replacing it with a small caliber handgun that he handed over to her. “And this is something I think you’d like. It shoots condensed magic power that’s been run through a focusing lens to increase the output. Give it a test and let me know how to adjust it after the mission.” Though he regretted being unable to provide anything for Aria and Constantine, it wasn’t that he intentionally didn’t have weapons or gear for them; quite the opposite, in fact, it was just that the items were still in the development stage and were not close enough to a field test as he would have liked them to be. Walking towards his designated hallway, he turned to face his comrades one last time. “Give them hell and don’t die on me. Or I’ll drag your asses back to life just to kill you myself.” And with that farewell, he made his way onward without hesitation, trusting the trio to stay safe. He had to focus on surviving and waging his own battles. It wasn’t for nothing the four of them had been called for after all. This was just one more job for the Drakes. “Relax kid, I’ve seen your memories, they can take care of themselves.” Eligos advised as his human host marched into the unknown. The ice crunched under his heels and both man and monster kept themselves alert, looking and sensing for any threats that might be lurking in the area. "That's my line, dummy," Rubie thought to herself as she pocketed the gun within her cloak's folds. They all exchanged their last goodbyes before setting off into the foreign halls of Ice Crown. Separating, the four would unbeknownst be watched, sensed and heard throughout the frozen marble corridors. New protectors stalked the halls and the Frost Biters were anxious searching them. One in particular fixed its eyes on Roland, recognizing the sword from which he wielded; and began to covet it. The Armory Versus The Soldier Clang! Clang! Clang! The sound of frosted metal connecting with the frozen floor could be heard up ahead the Deschain Drake Wizard. Turning the bend one could see a mane of white hair fluttering with ice crystals, flecking off the alabaster tresses and crystal blue eyes staring with an intense focus ahead. Black scales adorned in a mail-shirt, partially revealing a blue-white rune that swirled like a pulsing flame on his sternum, his forearms up to his shoulders wearing black scale-mail to a pair of black feathered pauldrons. From a cuirass of similar scale-mail to the rest of his legs to his plated boot heels, a single sword lied behind his back of substantial size and crystalline appearance, ebbing a cold mist just as his own skin seemed to. "Roland Deschain," He called out, grasping the edge of his sword and unsheathed it with a fluid motion, causing his icy hair to whip around in a jingling fashion, before brandishing it with one hand forward. A pulsing icy gem focused where the guard would be, with icicles jutting out like spikes from it while the rest of the sword was a cerulean pulsing peerless white hue. "I am her grace's Frost Biter, Lord Fried. I challenge you the right to wield that cursed blade of yours; in addition to being vanquished I shall be its new owner. Accept my challenge or be cut down in disgrace, interloper!" Roland stiffened when he heard the clang of armor up ahead. It didn’t take long for his adversary to find him and much to his shock, the figure knew his name. “Heh, my reputation precedes me it seems.” he muttered quietly. But more shocking was how he knew about the katana he carried, he knew it was cursed. “If those are my only options, I guess I have no choice but to fight. It's not like I can just hand over this sword, not while there’s still something I can use it for.” the red-clad warrior replied with a sigh. He much rather not fight over a weapon, especially one that he only tamed through sheer will and a stubborn refusal to die. Not the first time his inability to accept his fate carried him through, nor would it be the last. “But when I win, I’m taking your sword instead.” he taunted, leveling Hiryūkō at his new foe. “You won’t be able to keep holding me back. Against someone like him, you have to go all-out if you plan on keeping my sword. Until now, I’ve been kind enough to loan you some power, a taste of what I can do. But this Frost Biter, I can sense his strength and as much as I hate to tell you, he’s not like anything you’ve fought.” Eligos warned, though there was something else to his words, a challenge to his host to see how far the man would go if his survival was on the line. And against someone who knew of the Ice Lord’s weapon, survival was indeed the real prize. Roland didn’t wait for Fried to make the first move. A sword the of the one the armored man carried had to weigh quite a bit and would take time to swing, especially in close quarters. Taking that into account, he had to close the space between them to take advantage of it. Moving as fast as he could, he aimed a thrust at Fried’s body. The Frost Biter saw him move with a scrutinizing gaze. Due to the magically summoned armor placed over him, Roland was moving at a less than desirably swift momentum, but traded it for heavy endurance and raw force behind his velocity. Taking this into account, Fried swung his armored hand around while stepping forward within a meter of his enemy's approach- CLANG! -palm-thrusting the side of Roland's sword away while shoving his armored right shoulder to smash into his enemy's armored faceplate. "Your stance is," He began to intone as his left hand gripping the hilt of his crystalline sword and swung it around in an elliptical arc to possibly sever his head by the gap of his plating of his helm to the plating at his shoulders. "Too linear!" And with that clash, the battles continue, from Fried and Roland to the rest of the Frost Biters against the Drake Squadron, their secret mission pushes onwards; while other forces maneuver behind the scenes.